Variable-speed gearing.



Np. 814,502. PATBNTED MAR. 6, 1906.

kJ. ANDERSON.

VARIABLE SPEEDV GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 20, 1904.

JOACHIM ANDERSON, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

VARIABLE-SPEED GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'ratenteol March 6, 1906.

application filed December 20,1904. Serial No. 237,607.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, JOACHIM ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Variable-Speed Gearing, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

This invention .relates to variable-speed gearing designed more particularly for use on notesa ment. In like automobiles; and the object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus of this class.

The nature and characteristics of the invention will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of an embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same," and Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of details of the gearshif ting devices shown inthe preceding views.

In the drawings the reference-numeral 1 depower or. driving shaft; 2, a driven shaft which is in axial alinement with the driving-shaft, and 3 another shaft, desirably disposed to be parallel with the other said shafts and which shall hereinafter designate as the intermediate7 shaft. All of these shafts are seated in journal-boxes 4, formed or provided in a gear-inclosing case, as usual. Toothed gears 5, 6, and 7 are mounted upon the shaft 1 so as to be normally free to rotate thereon, but secured, as by set-collars 8, against longitudinal displacemanner toothed gears 9, 10, and 11 are -mounted upon the intermediate shaft 3, andthe rst two namedgears of each shaft are continuously in mesh with the corresponding ones of the other of these shafts, and the gears, being of dierent diameters, Will when in engagement rotate the driven ones at dierent speeds. Positionedintermediate of the gears 7 and 11 and in continuous'mesh therewit'liis an idler-gear`12, provided with an axle 13, seated in journal-boxes 14 and adapted duringengagement to cause l j`the gear 11 to be rotated in an opposite direction 'from the aforesaid directly-driven gears. Keyed or otherwise iixedly secured to the driven 'shaft 2 is a gear 15, which is normally in mesh with a gear 16, which is rotatably iixedto the intermediate shaft 3, but is so connected to the latter, as by 'a spline 3', as to be capable of 'being moved endwise against the action of a spring 17 for disentive said arms.

cording to the position of the lever.

gaging the same from the gear 15. Projecting outwardly from the hubs or -webs of the said gears, with the exception of 12 and 16, are coupling-horns 18, which are adapted to be engaged by like horns of clutch-sleeves-20 and 20', slidable longitudinally upon the driving and intermediate shafts and rotatably secured thereto by splines 21, as usual, The gear 16 instead of being provided with coupling-horns is provided, preferably, with an outwardly-projecting cylindrical flange 16', and the adjacent end of the clutch-sleeve 20 is made without coupling-horns. The said clutch-sleeves are disposed between each two intermeshing sets of gears, as shown, and are operatively connected in pairs by forked arms 22 22 and provided with rolls 22pro]ecting `into annular grooves 20 of the said sleeves.

The arms 22 22 are pivotally hung upon rocker-shafts 23 23 and resiliently connected thereto as against rotation by springs 24, extending through apertures 25 of theserockershafts and to slotted studs 26 of the respec- The rocker-shafts are j ournaled in suitable bearings and are provided with crank-arms 27, connected by reach-rods 19 with vibratory arms 28 of the controlling mechanism. This controlling mechanism comprises a transverse shaft 29, seated axially of stationary arc-plates l30, two sector-plates'y 28', and an actuating-lever 31, seated upon the shaft 29 between said arc-plates. The sector-plates are each formed integral with the said vibratoi'y arms and provided with recesses 28, whereby they can be individually engaged with the said lever when the latter is tilted therein. The lever is provided with atransverse latch-bar 32, adapted to enter either of the notches 29 of the arc-plates ac- For convenence lthe latch-bar is connected by a rod 32 with a fulcrumed grab-lever 32 at the handle end of the lever 31 and a compression-spring 33 may advantageously be positioned between the lever 32" and said leverhandle.

The operation of the invention is as follows: When the driven shaft is to be rotated in the same direction as the driving-shaft, the power may be transmitted directly to the driven shaft byv `ving a partial rotation to the rocker-shaft?J l23 and cause the clutch-sleeves therebeneath to couple with the gear 15 and desirably thrust the gear 16 out of mesh therewith, and in consequence the driving and driven shafts are then rotated as a single IOO vIO

shaft. Should, however, it` be desired to impart a different speed to the driven shaft, then the latter is driven through the service of the intermediate shaft by engaging the proper pair of gears of the driving and intcrmediate shaft, which rotates the latter, and from thence is rotated the driven shaft through the intermeshing ears and 16. The reverse motion of the dgriven shaft is attained by engaging the gears 7 and 11 with the clutches, the shaft 1 thus giving a corresponding rotation to the intermediate and a reverse motion to the driven shaft.

The object of the spring connections be. tween the forked shifting arms and the rocker-shafts thereof is to insure the horns of either ofthe coupling-sleeves entering between the opposin ones of, the gears when eitherthe gears or eeves in rotatlng are presented in re istering alinement.

It shoulde noted that all of the gears with the exception of 15 and 16 are normally r0- tativelydisconnected from their shafts, and

. in consequence the intermediate shaft is normally idle.`

Changes in speed can be quickly made by simplyl engaging the suitable driving and driven gears with the shafts and not, as is commonly done, by shifting the several gears into and out of peripheral engagement.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a dri-ving-shaft, gears loosely mounted uponsaid shaft, a driven shaft, a gear fixedly mounted upon said driven shaft, an intermediate shaft, gears loosely mounted upon the last-named shaft and in mesh with the said gears of the driving-shaft, another gear splined to the intermediate shaft and normally meshing with the said gear of the driven shaft, means for clutching the gears of the driving-shaft to the latter and also the corresponding gears of theintermediate shaft to their shaft, and means to clutch the driving and driven shafts directly to each other, substantially as described. j

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a driving-shaft, a driven shaft, means for positively connecting and disconnecting said shafts, an intermediate shaft, gears normally loose upon said driving and intermediate shafts, and continuously meshing with each other, means for clutching said gears to their respective shafts, a gear splined to said intermediate shaft, a gear fixedly connected to said driven shaft, means for disengagin the said two last-named gears, substantially as described.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of adriving-shaft, a loose gear thereon, an intermediate shaft, a loose gear mounted on said intermediate shaft and con-lV tinuously in mesh with the first-named gear, means to clutch said gears coincidently to their respective shafts, a gear rotatable with said intermediate shaft, a driven-shaft, a gear iixedly secured to said driven shaft and meshing with the last-named gear on the intermediate shaft, means by which the driving and driven shafts may be directly connected together and means for moving said lastnamed gear out of mesh With the fixed gear onthe driven shaft when the driving and driven shafts aredirectly connected.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the

v combination of the shafts and the gears there.

of, with coupling-sleeves slidably mounted I upon said shafts, a forked arm for each of said sleeves, a rocker-shaft, said arms being loosely hung upon said rocker-shaft, and a resilient connection between said arms and the rocker-shaft, substantially as described..

In testimony whereof I afIiX my signature 85 in presence of two witnesses.

JOACHIM ANDERSON. f

Witnesses:

PIERRE BARNES, F. DUDLEY Moss. 

